Department for Transport

East Coast Rail Franchise

lord shutt of greetland: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the announcement by the Secretary of State for Transport on 29 November that the Stagecoach–Virgin partnership would cease to operate the East Coast Rail franchise in 2020, whether they expect that the commitments in the original franchise that were due to be met before 2020 will continue to be met; and in particular, whether they expect (1) direct services from Middlesbrough to London, (2) two-hourly direct weekday services between Bradford, Harrogate, Lincoln and London, and (3) new direct peak-time services between Huddersfield and London, to be established by May 2019.

baroness sugg: We are in discussions with Stagecoach to ensure the needs of passengers and taxpayers will be met in the short term whilst laying the foundations for introduction of the East Coast Partnership from 2020. We expect to provide additional services between Lincoln, Harrogate, Bradford and London from May 2019. It remains our intention to deliver additional services to Middlesbrough and Huddersfield. Virgin Trains East Coast has contingent rights to run services from London to Middlesbrough from May 2020 and firm rights from May 2021.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Carillion: Insolvency

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to refer Carillion’s tendering activities and the connected actions of relevant officers of the company over the past three years to the Serious Fraud Office for inquiry.

lord henley: My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has written to the Insolvency Service and the Official Receiver to ask it to fast track its investigation into Carillion’s directors, and to broaden the scope of this to include former directors, to determine whether their actions caused detriment to creditors, employees and the pension schemes. He has also written to the chairman of the Financial Reporting Council and asked it to conduct an investigation into the preparation of Carillion’s accounts past and present, as well as the conduct of the company’s auditors. If in the course of the Official Receiver’s investigation he discovers any indication of criminal offences having been committed, he can refer them to a prosecuting authority including the Serious Fraud Office.

Financial Reporting Council

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byLord Henley on 16 January (HL4540 and HL4541) confirming the classification of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) as a public body, why the Memorandum of Understanding of July 2010 between Baroness Hogg, then chair of the FRC, and an official of the Department of Innovation and Skills, stated that the FRC was a private body.

lord henley: As explained in the reply given to the noble Baroness on 16th January 2018 to Question HL4540, the Memorandum of Understanding between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) was signed before the Office of National Statistics’ confirmation in 2014 that the FRC would remain a public body and was based on the expectations at that time.

Financial Reporting Council

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 16 January (HL4541) confirming the classification of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) as a public body, whether direct ministerial approval was given, at any time, to allow the FRC to operate without adhering to all of the obligations of being a public body set out in Cabinet Office rules; if so, when and by whom; and if not, why not.

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 16 January (HL4542) concerning the obligations of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), what are the differences between the obligations that have been, since 2004, placed on the FRC by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the obligations set out by the Cabinet Office for non-departmental public bodies; in particular relating to (1) procurement, (2) recruitment, (3) remuneration of FRC executives, and (4) conflicts of interest.

lord henley: The Office for National Statistics concluded in December 2014 that the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) was a public body within central government. The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (as it then was) examined whether there was scope for further review. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy concluded in 2017 that they should work with the FRC on the application of all relevant guidelines. Up to that point the FRC determined its own policies on these matters. This is with the exception of the appointment of its Chair and Deputy Chair by the Secretary of State, which followed best practice for ministerial appointments. Decisions on the application of the guidelines, during the prolonged period in which the status of the FRC as a public body was the subject of or pending review, were taken by Departmental officials under the delegated authority of the responsible departmental accounting officer.

Financial Reporting Council

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 16 January (HL4540) confirming the classification of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) as a public body, what reports have been made by, and to, the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and its predecessor departments, on the status, classification, reclassification, and governance of the FRC since the beginning of 2004; and whether they will place copies of all such reports in the Library of the House.

lord henley: The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has reported annually to the Secretary of State since 2013 in compliance with requirements in Part 42 of the Companies Act 2006 on reporting by the Secretary of State’s delegate. Those reports have been laid before both Houses of Parliament and include discussions of the governance of the FRC. The joint consultation by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and the FRC in 2012 on proposals to reform the FRC considered its governance arrangements and led, among other changes, to the application of these reporting requirements.[1] Before that time the FRC produced an annual report and accounts as a private company which was filed at Companies House. It also published an annual report for its stakeholders on its work. Between 2006 and 2012, the requirements of the Companies Act on reporting by the Secretary of State’s delegate applied to the Professional Oversight Board, an operating board of the FRC. Its functions were transferred to the FRC in 2012. It’s reports were also laid before both Houses of Parliament. [1] The consultation is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/financial-reporting-council-reform



Consultation document 2012
(PDF Document, 289.91 KB)

Financial Reporting Council

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total remuneration paid to the Chief Executive of the Financial Reporting Council for each year since, and including, 2004; and what was(1) the average employment earnings for the UK; (2) the average public sector pay, and (3) the salary of the Prime Minister, for each of those years.

lord henley: YearSalary of Chief Executive of the FRC (£)Average employment earnings for the UK (£)Average public sector pay (£)Salary of the Prime Minister (£)2008316,00025,16526,676193,8852009325,00025,80627,692193,8852010329,87525,88228,339142,5002011338,12226,09528,656142,5002012346,57526,47228,930142,5002013355,23927,01129,487142,5002014362,34427,21529,773142,5002015369,95127,61530,328149,4402016378,83128,19530,540150,402 For the purposes of comparison we have listed the base salary of the Chief Executive of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), average employment earnings across the UK,[1] average public sector pay and the base salary of the Prime Minister, which is made up of Ministerial and Parliamentary salaries combined. [2] We have been unable to compare with information before 2008; therefore included in the table above are figures only from 2008 until 2016. [1] Please note that the report consists of median earnings as opposed to mean earnings as a measure for average earnings. Additionally there have been a number of changes to the ASHE methodology over the years, which has resulted in a break in the series in 2011. Figures either side of a break are not directly comparable so caution should be exercised when interpreting long-term trends over time. [2] These figures have been taken from ‘Appendix 4: Ministerial salaries a comparison of entitlements and amounts received’ of the ‘Member’s pay and expenses and ministerial salaries 2016/17’ 10th November 2016. And are accessible here: http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7762/CBP-7762.pdf



Briefing Paper
(PDF Document, 790.39 KB)

Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the UK’s requirements under the Espoo Conventionon Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context will be met following withdrawal from the Euratom Treaty, noting that compliance with the requirement under Article 37 of the Treaty for Member States to submit to the Commission general data concerning any plan for the disposal of radioactive waste has previously been used to demonstrate that the UK is fulfilling those requirements.

lord henley: The UK’s obligations under the Espoo convention are not met through compliance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty. They are met through the UK’s planning regime, in particular through the Environmental Impact Assessment and related processes.

Financial Reporting Council

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) sought to resist the classification decision of the National Accounts Classification Committee in 2004 that the FRC was a public body; if so, whether they supported that resistance; and if so, why.

lord henley: Throughout the period between 2004 and 2014 the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) and the Department for Trade and Industry (and its successors) agreed that the original classification of the FRC as a public body should, if possible, be revised. The Department worked with the FRC to seek its reclassification from the Office for National Statistics on a number of occasions. The justification for this was based on wider Government policy on public bodies and the development of the FRC’s functions.

Financial Reporting Council

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total cost of external legal advice sought by the Financial Reporting Council regarding the classification decision of the National Accounts Classification Committee, including any attempts at reclassification.

lord henley: We are informed by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) that their total spend on external legal advice on all issues arising out the FRC’s classification as a public body is £6,482.70 inclusive of VAT. This is a cumulative figure covering the period from 2004 through to 2017.

Financial Reporting Council

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 22 January (HL4627), whythe penultimate paragraph of the fact sheet accompanying the request for payment by the Financial Reporting Council expressly states that the amount is required to be paid, refers to 20per cent and 50per cent discounts in certain cases, but does not refer to the payment either before or after discount being voluntary.

lord henley: The Financial Reporting Council’s Preparers Levy fact sheet (attached) makes clear that the payment is voluntary. The paragraph referred to in the question explicitly requests rather than requires payment. The section above this in the fact sheet contains the text referred to in my written answer on 22nd January 2018 (HL4627).



Factsheet
(PDF Document, 124.3 KB)

Audit: Fines

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Henley on 16 January (HL4543), how much in fines has been received under the Statutory Auditors and Third Country Auditors Regulations 2016 (SI 2016/649); how much in fines was received and passed on to other bodies from schemes prior to those Regulations coming into force in (1) 2012, (2) 2013, (3) 2014, (4) 2015, and (5) 2016; and to which organisations those fines were passed.

lord henley: No fines have been received under the Statutory Auditors and Third Country Auditors Regulations 2016. We are informed by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) that the following fines were imposed under the FRC’s accountancy scheme from 2012 to 2016 and passed to the participating body which met the related case costs. (The table does not include the costs that were awarded to the bodies in relation to specific cases or the contributions to case costs by the participating bodies overall.)  YearTotal fines ReceivedFines passed to the accountancy bodiesICAEWCIMACAI2012NIL---2013£815k£815k--2014£1,038k£1,025k£13k-2015£4,688k£4,688k--2016£6,712k£6,552k-£160k KeyICAEW: The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and WalesCIMA: The Chartered Institute of Management AccountantsCAI: Chartered Accountants Ireland

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Southern Africa: Education

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many education projects have been supported by the British Council in (1) Swaziland, (2) Botswana and (3) Lesotho, in each of the last five years.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 24 January 2018.The correct answer should have been:

The British Council have advised that in each of the last five years the number of education projects the British Council has supported in each country is:Country20132014201520162017Swaziland22311Botswana33332Lesotho22311 Country20132014201520162017Swaziland11222Botswana33332Lesotho11222

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Council have advised that in each of the last five years the number of education projects the British Council has supported in each country is:Country20132014201520162017Swaziland22311Botswana33332Lesotho22311 Country20132014201520162017Swaziland11222Botswana33332Lesotho11222

Burma: Rohingya

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of warnings by the Burma Human Rights Network about plans announced on 16 January by the governments’ of Burma and Bangladesh to repatriate the Rohingya refugees who fled from Burma.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government has noted the report by the Burma Human Rights Network and its concerns about the repatriation of Rohingya refugees. The Government has been clear throughout the current crisis that the Rohingya refugees who have fled into Bangladesh must be able to return to their homes in Burma safely, voluntarily and in dignity, and under international monitoring.We are carefully following the implementation of the 23 November agreement between Burma and Bangladesh. We have repeatedly used our bilateral representations to the Governments of Burma and Bangladesh to call on them to ensure the repatriation process meets the conditions set out by the UN Security Council, in the Presidential Statement we proposed and secured on 6 November. Most recently the British Ambassador to Burma pressed for agreement to involve UNHCR in the repatriation process in his meeting with the Minister for the Office of the State Counsellor on 11 January. The British High Commission in Dhaka regularly raises our concerns about premature returns with the government of Bangladesh.The UK will continue to work with our international partners both bilaterally and multilaterally to ensure that any returns take place in line with international norms and with international monitoring.

Burma: Rohingya

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment have they made of whether the Rohingya refugees who may be returned to Burma from Bangladesh will be subject to refoulement to camps where they may be held indefinitely.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government has been clear throughout the current crisis that the Rohingya refugees who have fled into Bangladesh must be able to return to their homes in Burma safely, voluntarily and in dignity, and under international monitoring.The UK proposed and secured a UN Security Council Presidential Statement on 6 November which called on the Governments of Burma and Bangladesh to ensure these conditions are met.Burma and Bangladesh signed an agreement to repatriate refugees on 23 November which stated that all returns would be safe, voluntary and in dignity. The UK has since made representations to both governments to implement these commitments. We have also specifically lobbied Burma to allow UNHCR involvement in the repatriation process, most recently in the British Ambassador's meeting with the Minister for the Office of the State Counsellor on 11 January.The UK will continue to work with our international partners to ensure any returns take place in line with international norms and under international monitoring. This will assist in making their return as safe and timely as possible.

Burma: Rohingya

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they made to UN agencies and Rohingya representatives before and after refoulement plans to return the Rohinga refugees from Burma to Bangladesh were agreed.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The bilateral agreement reached by Burma and Bangladesh on 23 November recognised the need for the returns it governs to be safe, voluntary and in dignity. The UK has called upon both governments to ensure that this agreement is properly implemented so that returns are voluntary and refoulement does not occur. We have been clear that the conditions in Rakhine are not yet ready for returns to commence.The Minister for Asia and the Pacific raised this with Bangladesh's High Commissioner on 9 January, and the British Ambassador to Burma raised it in his meeting with Minister for the Office of State Counsellor on 11 January. The UK has underlined the importance of voluntary returns at the UN Security Council, through the Presidential Statement we proposed and secured on 6 November and in our intervention during the 12 December Council session. The Minister for the Middle East raised the issue in his meeting with the High Commissioner for Refugees on 12 January, and is encouraging the UNHCR to develop a systematic process for consultation with Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

Department of Health and Social Care

Prescription Drugs: Misuse

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have assessed the study by James Davies et al Long term Benzodiazepine and Z-drugs use in the UK: A survey of general practice,published in the British Journal of General Practice vol. 67 (662) in May 2017, which found that more than a quarter of a million people in the UK are likely to be taking highly dependency forming hypnotic medication far beyond the recommended timescales.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department has commissioned Public Health England to undertake an evidence review to better understand the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence. The review will bring together the best available evidence on prevalence and prescribing, the nature and likely causes of dependence or withdrawal among some people who continue to take these medicines and effective prevention and treatment responses for each indication. The study by James Davies et al will be considered as part of this review.

Carillion: Insolvency

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure the completion of Liverpool Hospital following the collapse of Carillion; and what is now the anticipated completion date.

lord o'shaughnessy: Carillion is building the new Royal Liverpool Hospital under a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract. The PFI contract between the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust and the PFI Project Company is still in place, which means that the Company is still contractually obliged to manage the project and find a construction firm or subcontractor who can continue the building work. This is important for the Trust and also an incentive for the PFI Project Company to minimise delay. Additionally, the Department and NHS Improvement have been supporting the Trust with contingency planning for this to ensure there is minimal disruption.The Royal Liverpool Hospital scheme is very well advanced. The PFI Project Company is currently in discussions with PwC (on behalf of the official receiver), their lenders and with other service and construction companies to assess how best to continue delivering these contracts.

Radioisotopes: Imports

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are takingto ensure that the UK radiopharmaceutical supply after leavingEuratom might be relied upon to not have an impact on patients, in terms of (1) timeliness of delivery, and (2) the quantity supplied of radiopharmaceutical suppliesproduced (a) in the EU, and (b) outside theEU.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government is fully aware of the importance of medical radioisotopes and the reliance on nuclear medicine for diagnostic procedures in the National Health Service. The United Kingdom’s ability to import medical isotopes from Europe and the rest of the world will not be affected by withdrawal from Euratom. It is in the interest of both the UK and European Union to avoid disruption in the timely access of treatment to patients; and to ensure that cross-border trade with the EU is frictionless as possible. This will be part of the broader negotiations of the UK’s future relations with the EU.

Department for Education

Schools: Admissions

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that schools whose admission arrangements were found by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator to have contravened the School Admissions Code have now changed their arrangements so as to comply with the code.

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether proposed changes to who can object to school admissions arrangements will have a disproportionate effect on parents from low income backgrounds.

lord agnew of oulton: Where the Schools Adjudicator determines that a school’s admission arrangements do not comply with the School Admissions Code, the admission authority has a statutory duty to revise its admission arrangements to give effect to the Adjudicator’s decision within two months of the decision or by 28 February following the decision, whichever is sooner, unless an alternative timescale is specified by the Adjudicator.The Government expects admission authorities to comply fully and Department for Education officials always follow up cases where admission authorities are required by the Adjudicator to take action.An Adjudicator’s decision is binding and enforceable by the Secretary of State.The Department of Education is not proposing any changes to who can submit objections to the Schools Adjudicator in relation to school admission arrangements.

Free Schools

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government in relation to the contract for the grant to run a Support Service to the Free Schools Programme (1) when bids were invited, (2) where this was advertised, (3) when was the closing date for bids, and (4) what was the process for awarding the contract.

lord agnew of oulton: The department published an Invitation to Bid (ITB) for a grant to run a support service to the Free Schools Programme on 14 December 2017. The ITB was published on the Contracts Finder portal of the GOV.UK website. This is the standard advertising medium used for grants across the public sector.The closing date for bids was midnight on 19 January 2018. Departmental officials will assess all bids received by the deadline against the selection criteria in the ITB. The final decision on awarding the grant rests with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State. The outcome of the bidding process will be published on GOV.UK in due course.

Student Wastage

baroness hussein-ece: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to address the findings of the University Partnerships Programme Foundation and Social Market Foundation reportOn course for success? Student retention at universitywith particular reference to the conclusion that students from ethnic minority and disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to drop out.

viscount younger of leckie: The government is committed to ensuring that everyone with the potential has the opportunity to benefit from higher education (HE), irrespective of their background. Entry rates to full-time HE for 18 year olds from all ethnic groups increased in 2017, reaching the highest recorded numbers. There is, however, more to do to ensure that students, including disadvantaged and black and minority ethnic students, are supported both to access higher education and also to participate and succeed. That is why we have taken a number of actions on this. From April 2018, Access Agreements will be extended and become Access and Participation Plans. This recognises the importance of HE providers supporting both access and participation, including non-continuation and non-completion of courses, and student success for disadvantaged groups. Additionally, the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework will use non-continuation rates as a core metric when ascribing Gold, Silver or Bronze status to individual universities. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teaching-excellence-and-student-outcomes-framework-specification. Furthermore, the new Transparency Condition created by the Higher Education and Research Act will require many HE providers to publish their completion rates broken down by gender, ethnicity and socio-economic background. Making this data public will expose those providers who are underperforming in this area. The new regulator for HE, the Office for Students, will also have a statutory duty to have regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity in relation to the whole student lifecycle for disadvantaged and traditionally under-represented groups, not just access.

Ministry of Justice

Courts: Video Conferencing

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to implementprocedures to ensure that children and other vulnerable defendants are not subject to video hearings in any situation in which pleas are discussed or entered, or evidence adduced.

lord keen of elie: The means through which a youth or other vulnerable defendant attends court is determined by the court on a case by case basis. In exercising any such power, the court must comply with the defendant’s right to a fair trial and, where the defendant is a youth, the statutory duty to have regard to the welfare of children and young persons under s.44 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.

Courts: Video Conferencing

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to ask the Judicial College to develop guidance for judges, magistrates and magistrates’ legal advisersabout whenvideo hearings should be used for vulnerable defendants; and what reasonable adjustments should be made if a video hearing is used, including the use of intermediaries.

lord keen of elie: The Judicial College provides training for Courts judiciary in accordance with the Lord Chief Justice’s statutory responsibility. One of the key resources to support training in this area is its Equal Treatment Bench Book. This reference work has just been updated, will shortly be re-published, and will be publicly accessible online. Chapter 2 deals with vulnerable witnesses and defendants, video links and intermediaries. Senior judiciary who are Heads of Division may consider whether guidance is required in any area and this usually takes the form of publicly available Practice Directions. At present on this topic there are relevant references in the Criminal Practice Directions which were last updated in July 2017 by the then Lord Chief Justice.

Courts: Video Conferencing

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to consider proposals for a methodological assessment of the impact of video hearings on justice outcomes, including appeals.

lord keen of elie: We already use video links successfully across the justice system. Greater use of video technology can reduce travel time, cost and inconvenience for the public and professionals who use our courts and tribunals. Over the course of this year we will be launching pilots of online video technology to explore how video can be used more widely to make courts better to use and more effective to operate. The early pilots will be subject to independent academic evaluation to ensure our processes remain accessible and robust. In addition, we are considering the requirements for an evaluation to assess the overall impact of our Court Reform Programme.

Magistrates: Training

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what training, if any, magistrates receive on the culture and ethnicity of gypsies and travellers.

lord keen of elie: Magistrates’ training is delivered on a local basis through HMCTS and in line with the National Minimum Training Provision which is agreed with the Judicial College. The Judicial College provides training for judges in accordance with the Lord Chief Justice’s statutory responsibility. All magistrates take the judicial oath and the induction programme supports them to fulfil this. The College has not mandated any specific training for magistrates on the culture and ethnicity of Gypsies and Travellers, but it has published an Equal Treatment Bench Book which provides specific information about equality issues affecting Gypsies and Travellers and is available to all judges and magistrates.

Criminal Proceedings: Travellers

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement byLord Keen of Elie on 19 December 2017 (HLWS365), who are the members of the Race and Ethnicity Board of Senior Officials; and how they plan for the Board to take account of discrimination against gypsy, traveller and Roma people.

lord keen of elie: As part of the Government’s response to the Lammy Review, we have set up a Race and Ethnicity Board to monitor our progress on the recommendations, and the wider agenda of race disparity. The Board is chaired by the Ministry of Justice Director General for Offender Reform and Commissioning, Justin Russell. Membership of the Board includes senior level representation from departmental policy groups and operational agencies such as HM Prison and Probation Service and HM Courts and Tribunal Service. There is also representation at an appropriate grade from other relevant Government departments and organisations including the Parole Board, Welsh Government and the National Police Chiefs’ Council.The scope of the Board is the same as the Lammy Review, therefore due consideration will be given to the issues experienced by the Gypsy, Traveller and Roma community. The Board has already met and is considering how best to engage the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community.

Immigration: Appeals

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many initial immigration decisions were overturned on appeal in (1) 1990, (2) 1995, (3) 2000, (4) 2005, (5) 2010, and (6) 2015.

lord keen of elie: The number of immigration appeals allowed by first-tier tribunals were: 2005 – 13,2212010 – 35,5632015 – 17,582 The equivalent information for 1990, 1995 and 2000 is not held centrally by HM Courts and Tribunals Service. For information on immigration appeals allowed, the following Immigration and Asylum Tribunal categories have been combined: Managed Migration, Entry Clearance, Human Rights & EEA Free Movement. Information on the number of Immigration and Asylum appeal decisions is published quarterly, from 2007/08 onwards:www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognition-certificate-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2017.

Air Displays: Shoreham

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to review the refusal by the Legal Aid Agency of support for the families of the victims of Shoreham air show seeking representation in the forthcoming inquest.

lord keen of elie: The Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012 ensures that the decision-making process for legal aid remains independent from Ministers. The role of Director of Legal Aid Casework (DLAC) was created as a result of the LASPO Act 2012 and the DLAC has sole responsibility for making decisions on individual cases. A review of the funding decision remains underway with the DLAC, pending further information being provided.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Multiple Occupation: Domestic Waste

lord flight: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following publication of their response to the consultationHouses in multiple occupation and residential property licensing reformsin December 2017, what responsibilities they propose that landlords of houses of multiple occupationshould have in respect of waste for landfill and recycling created by tenants.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: As part of the reforms to houses in multiple occupation (HMO) licensing, the Government is addressing concerns about inadequate refuse facilities in HMOs. The proposed reforms include a new mandatory condition to be included in HMO licences requiring that licence holders comply with any scheme issued by the local housing authority for the storage and disposal of household waste.

Local Government: Borrowing

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is an cap on the borrowing that local authorities can undertake; if so, what the basis for this cap is; and what powers they have to step in should borrowing be excessive, including through the Public Works Loan Board.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Under Local Government Act 2003, local authorities have the freedom to borrow and invest, without government consent, provided that their borrowing is affordable. As part of this ‘prudential’ framework, every local authority is required to set its own borrowing limit, which must be approved by full Council or the equivalent at least annually. The Government has backstop powers to set national borrowing limits at times of economic crisis, which would override the normal prudential freedoms. These powers have never been used.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Officers

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byEarl Howe on 17 January (HL4523), whether the privilege of wearing Royal ADC aiguillettes and cyphers has been removed from former Heads of Service.

earl howe: The wearing of Royal Aiguillettes and The Sovereign's Cypher are visual indicators of being a member of the Royal Household and are worn only for the duration of a qualifying appointment.There are six senior serving military officers appointed by the Sovereign as Principal Aides de Camp (ADC), namely the Chief of the Defence Staff, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, First Sea Lord, Chief of the General Staff, Chief of the Air Staff and Commander Joint Forces Command (the current Heads of Service). Officers holding these appointments wear Royal Aiguillettes and the Sovereign's Cypher and are entitled to the post-nominal of ADC or ADC(Gen).These privileges are transferred to their successors once they cease to hold one of the six qualifying appointments. This policy has been in force for some years and remains unchanged.Four-star military officers who served as Principal ADCs may wear the single-Service "Board" pattern aiguillette on the right shoulder as an additional mark of recognition from Her Majesty the Queen, unless re-appointed to the Royal Household or subsequently appointed to five-star rank.

Warships

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government which naval decks will provide the UK’s amphibious force with simultaneous two company lift between now and 2023.

earl howe: Depending on the tasking, simultaneous lift can be facilitated by the appropriate Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels of the Amphibious Task Group. In the future, this may include the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers.

Type 26 Frigates

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Ministry of Defence has ordered all the long-lead items for the first eight T26 frigates.

earl howe: The Ministry of Defence has ordered long-lead items for the first batch of three Type 26 Frigates. We will place orders for the long-lead items for the remaining five ships at the appropriate time.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Plastics

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Scottish government’s proposals to ban plastic stemmed cotton buds; and whether they plan to consider similar proposals for England.

lord gardiner of kimble: We have made no specific assessment of the Scottish Government’s proposals, though we recognise the efforts being made by manufacturers and retailers to phase out their use and sale. Further to the Prime Minister’s call to eliminate avoidable plastic waste by 2042 and the Chancellor’s Budget announcement in November 2017, officials from both Defra and HM Treasury are working closely on a call for evidence to be published shortly. This will seek views on how the tax system or charges could reduce the amount of single use plastics waste.  .

Roads: Litter

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Gardiner of Kimble on 22 January (HL4503), when they expect the new powers given to local councils in England outside London to issue civil penalties to the keepers of vehicles from which litter is thrown to come into effect.

lord gardiner of kimble: Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Littering from Vehicles Outside London (Keepers: Civil Penalties) Regulations are expected to come into force on 1 April 2018. A copy of the draft Regulations can be found online at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2018/9780111163818/contents

Home Office

Police and Crime Commissioners: Fire and Rescue Services

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government which individuals or organisations have been appointed to deliver independent assessments of the business cases put forward by five police and crime commissioners to take on the functions of fire and rescue authorities under the Policing and Crime Act 2017.

baroness williams of trafford: If in response to a PCCs consultation to take on governance of local fire and rescue services, a relevant local authority indicates that it does not support the proposal, the Secretary of State must obtain an Independent Assessment of the proposal. The Home Secretary and I have appointed the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy to carry out independent assessments of the proposals submitted by the PCCs for Hertfordshire, Staffordshire, Cambridgeshire, West Mercia and North Yorkshire.

Police and Crime Commissioners: Fire and Rescue Services

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the experience and qualifications of those individuals or organisations that have been appointed to deliver independent assessments of the business cases put forward by five police and crime commissioners to take on the functions of fire and rescue authorities under the Policing and Crime Act 2017, with regard to the impact that those proposals will have on (1) the corresponding fire and rescue services,(2) the relevant police service, (3) the relevant local authorities, (4) public finances, and (5) public safety.

baroness williams of trafford: The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has been commissioned to carry out separate independent assessments of proposals from the PCCs of Hertfordshire, Staffordshire, Cambridgeshire, North Yorkshire and West Mercia. CIPFA has substantial public finance expertise and works closely with police and fire and rescue services and is therefore well placed to provide an independent, professional view on business cases. Whilst the conduct of the assessment is for CIPFA to determine, they have been asked to provide a view on whether they consider the proposal to be in the interests of economy, efficiency and effectiveness, or in the interest of public safety (the statutory tests). CIPFA can contact other organisations if they are of the view that additional input or expertise is necessary to help them make a judgement on whether the proposal is in the interest of the statutory tests. CIPFA secured the views of the local police force, fire service and local authorities during the independent assessment process.

Police and Crime Commissioners: Fire and Rescue Services

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey have taken to ensure that the business cases put forward by five police and crime commissioners to take on the functions of fire and rescue authorities under the Policing and Crime Act 2017 comply with the guidance issued by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioner Chief Executives which Her Majesty’s Government commissioned for the drawing up of such business cases.

baroness williams of trafford: We welcome the guidance that has been developed by the Association of Police and Crime Chief Executives (APACE) which helpfully covers a number of issues a PCC will need to consider when developing and consulting on their business case for fire governance, including the statutory tests the business case is required to meet, the manner in which local consultation should be carried out, its duration, and arrangements the PCC should make to publish their response to the consultation. Whilst the guidance is neither statutory nor subject to any Parliamentary procedure, the Government expects PCCs to take it in to account and the guidance has been shared with all PCCs by APACE. It is for PCCs to determine locally how to best use the guidance and demonstrate how their case meets the statutory tests.

Police and Crime Commissioners: Fire and Rescue Services

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment will be made of the results of inspections of the relevant police services by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary when decisions on the proposals by police and crime commissioners to take on the functions of fire and rescue authorities under the Policing and Crime Act 2017 are made.

baroness williams of trafford: The Secretary of State can only give effect to a police and crime commissioner’s proposal to take on responsibility for the governance of fire and rescue where, in her view, the proposal is in the interests of economy, efficiency and effectiveness, or in the interests of public safety.The Secretary of State’s decision on whether these statutory tests have been met will be made on a case by case basis; considering the particulars of the case at hand and drawing on relevant available information, such as findings from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services inspections.

HM Treasury

Public Private Partnerships

lord carlile of berriew: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, following the recent report by the National Audit Office and the collapse of Carillion, they plan to produce new guidance on the circumstances under which PF2 contracts should be used in future.

lord young of cookham: Private Finance 2 proposals should be assessed in line with The HM Treasury’s Green Book, which is currently being revised and will be republished in due course.

Cabinet Office

Freedom of Information: Scotland

lord forsyth of drumlean: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the procedures being followed by civil servants in Scotland for maintaining records of meetings with ministers which may be subject to freedom of information requests.

lord young of cookham: All UK Government civil servants are expected to adhere to the principles set out in the Civil Service Code. Civil servants working for the Scottish and Welsh Governments, and their agencies, have their own versions of the code. As stated in the Civil Service Code all UK officials are required to 'keep accurate official records and handle information as openly as possible within the legal framework'.

Public Sector: Procurement

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last published a list of Crown Representatives and strategic suppliers; whether the published listed is updated when appointments cease or new ones are made; and if not, when that list will next be published.

lord young of cookham: A list of Crown Representatives and strategic suppliers is attached.This list is updated periodically.Crown representatives are contractors assigned to companies where they have knowledge of the sector, but where there is no conflict with other concurrent roles. They are not political appointees and they have no authority to take procurement decisions.



Crown Representatives and Strategic Suppliers
(Word Document, 17.3 KB)

Carillion

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government who were theCrown Representatives named for Carillion; what was their period of service; andwhat was their previous relevant experience.

lord young of cookham: A list of Crown Representatives and strategic suppliers is attached.This list is updated periodically.Crown representatives are contractors assigned to companies where they have knowledge of the sector, but where there is no conflict with other concurrent roles. They are not political appointees and they have no authority to take procurement decisions.



Crown Representatives and Strategic Suppliers- Jan
(Word Document, 17.3 KB)

Death

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatwas the total number of deaths in the UK in each of the last ten years.

lord young of cookham: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply and I will place a copy of their letter in the Library of the House.



UKSA Response 
(Word Document, 67.5 KB)

Immigration: Statistics

lord northbrook: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration has been given to publishing student and non-student immigration figures separately.

lord young of cookham: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply and I will place a copy of their letter in the Library of the House.



UKSA Response 
(PDF Document, 70.14 KB)

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Internet: Young People

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which voluntary action by global companies will be sufficient to make the UK the safest place for young people online, further to the Prime Minister’s speech on 25 January.

lord ashton of hyde: In general, Government favours a self-regulatory approach to the internet, and seeks to work collaboratively with key partners. Considerable success has been achieved, without the need for regulation, such as the roll-out of free, family-friendly ISP level filters for the vast majority of broadband customers with prompts to encourage parents to activate them. The UK Government is making important progress in tackling online safety issues through the Digital Charter, which was announced in the Queen's Speech and published on 25 January. This work includes the publication of the Internet Safety Strategy green paper on 11 October 2017, which aims to tackle the growing dangers that users can face online. The Strategy sets out how we will continue to work collaboratively with industry, parents and communities, working together to keep citizens safe online. The Strategy consulted on a range of safety initiatives - including a social media code of practice; a social media levy; and transparency reporting to help inform future policy. We plan to take these forward on a voluntary basis, but will consider regulation if necessary.